How do you know that something you're working on is going to resonate in the way that you're describing?
When you connect with your gut. When you get into a space where it becomes about a gimmick, when it becomes about trying to fit a mold, when it becomes about trying too hard to get a charted record, you lose the authenticity there. And that's why the formulaic pop route was always a place I tried to stay away from. Yes, I do pop music. Yes, I love writing things that people can sing along to. I've done things for soundtracks or that fit a specific genre and a purpose for clubs that are free and not as deep as I would personally go. But when it comes to making my albums, that's how you really connect.
Even my kids, they get very upset when I don't include [my 2010 song] “Bionic” in my set list. My son doesn't listen to pop music at all. He's off the grid, but he goes back to the Prodigy and that's when I was coming up. Certain things really do stand the test of time and are ahead. “Bionic” was not a huge song, but I can't tell you how much love I get for that specific album. You listen to that song now and it holds up. At the end of the day, you look at the actual body of work. Whenever I'm not around anymore, for generations to come, they can enjoy different aspects of what I did and the music lives on. This is about the bigger picture.
I lived through all your album cycles and Back to Basics was massive for me, so it was interesting to see Bionic received in a much different way. What was it about the timing of that album release?
Back to Basics was a bit more relatable. It addressed sounds that we've heard and grew up on: soul music and blues and jazz, things that are very familiar. The imagery too, I was inspired by old Hollywood and glam. In comparison, Bionic was an adventurous album. I was very inspired at the time by electronica music, by M.I.A. and Ladytron, Switch and John Hill, who are incredible producers. They knew how to piece together these intricate electronic sounds, and these are newer to the ear. At the end of the day, sometimes things happen in pop culture that people aren't ready for. But it's not for me to really know and dissect, because I put something out there that I truly loved and still love to this day. “Bionic” and “Vanity,” these records that are so fun to perform live and get the audience hype and stand the test of time.
Some of the songs that felt so bizarre at the time could come out now and really hit.
Like “Woohoo,” for instance, is so fun with Nicki [Minaj] on it. And even “Elastic Love” is one of my favorites that I did with M.I.A. That is such a weird song, but we used a really cool effect on my voice and I was excited to use my voice in different ways.
Peaches has an incredible guest verse on “My Girls.” How’d she get involved?
All I listened to was The Teaches of Peaches for the entire Stripped album as I was recording it.
Were you working in-studio with all these Bionic collaborators?
It was a lot of in-person, like Ladytron came to my studio. Sia, she was a very special one, because I was such a fan of hers. I enjoyed being with her and her support while I was recording vocals. She made me laugh a lot and her songwriting is epic. It was such an incredible album with so many different moving parts.
It’s definitely tricky making art for public consumption. With magazines, it can feel similar. In the case of Bionic, when people had polarizing opinions, how did you work through knowing that you love it regardless of anyone’s criticism?
I make that decision before I release it. It's almost like you're protective of your child: If I send this out into the world, it's not mine anymore. You want to protect it and love it, and you don't want people to be mean to it, like a child. But at the same time, I'm not going to shy away from a challenge. If you're a real artist, you're gonna put yourself out there. You get it to a place where it's like,No matter what somebody can say about it, I love it. It can't be broken because it's a part of me, it's real. That's why I don't hold weight in numbers or in other people's opinions, because it's so easy to critique and cast judgment. But it comes with the territory, I get it. You have to be able to stay authentic, or else you'll lose your own sense of self and creativity.
I always wonder why we place so much value on art being the most wide-reaching and resonating with as many people as possible, versus making something that really speaks to a focused group of people. Why does everything need to be for everyone?
Well, you're speaking to the wrong person. I'm not a machine, I'm not a number. I'm a human who wants to connect on a very human level. To a lot of people, it is about numbers because numbers generate dollars and that's when it becomes business and stale and, to me, the ugly beast of the creative business. Success is great, it brings people together. It generates conversation. But I will never be a part of the creative world in a way that jeopardizes my own integrity.